Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Engaging young people to create safe, inclusive cities
United Nations estimates suggest that by 2050, 70% of India’s population will live in its cities. A considerable number will be young people in search of education, jobs and other amenities that are in short supply in their hometowns or villages. And so, it is time to start planning for a future when young people, especially women, are not hampered by a lack of information, inadequate infrastructure, unresponsive services, and poor safety from accessing spaces in cities.
Young people are critical for shaping the future of our cities. Yet, their voices remain underrepresented in decision-making. The lives of young people, especially women, in cities are restricted by sociocultural norms as well as poor infrastructure and services. This affects their right to the city, access to opportunities, and their well-being.
A project which bears mention in this regard is a joint one by Safetipin and the YP Foundation under the “Fit for the Future” programme. The project works towards empowering young people with skills and developing technological solutions to health challenges. Currently, it aims to advocate for young people’s access, ownership and well-being in urban spaces with a pilot in four cities in Rajasthan.
With a multi-pronged approach to using data and technologies for evidence generation and perception mapping of young people based on their experiences through human-centred research design, the project aims to strengthen youth-led active citizenship models to ensure the rights and entitlements of young people in the city.
The project focuses on building the leadership of young women. It enhances the confidence and skills of participants with technology, data collection, and the development of indicators for gender-inclusive cities. The youth data will eventually lead to concrete schemes for gender- and youth-responsive urban infrastructure and services.
These factors will transform cities into spaces where young people can thrive. Kalpana Viswanath, CEO and founder of Safetipin says, “The live, move, grow, play (LMGP) framework encompasses young people’s experiences and expectations from the city. Our project aims to create a platform to ensure the aspirations of young people, especially women, are met.”
Workshops conducted with over 400 young people across four cities in Rajasthan found that they want to live with rights, access education, good health, a secure home and spaces to voice their needs. Women want to move around without fear. Mobility is key to accessing education, employment as well as leisure.
The project also worked with Youth-led Advocacy and Action for Rights and Accountability (YAARA) on capacity building for youth. It identified 16 young leaders ( 70% of them women), across two cities: Jaipur and Udaipur. These young advocates are being trained to develop leadership skills to lead change through evidencebased advocacy. Currently, YAARA advocates are working towards activating public parks for women, safe and accessible public toilets, and collecting stories of change.
2050 may seem a long way off, but if we begin framing and implementing the policies now, cities will become not just genderinclusive, but will also see a sharp increase in youth-led productivity. Surbhi Kumar and Nidhi Arya, programme coordinators at the YP Foundation, say, “Cities for youth is a movement for young people to be able to exercise their rights in cities by demanding ownership in policymaking. To make a city inclusive, there is a need to recognise young people’s lived experiences, especially in the context of accessing opportunities to grow, live, play, and move freely.”